This disclosure relates to gas turbine engines, and more particularly to variable vane assemblies in gas turbine engines.
Gas turbine engines typically include one or more compressor sections, a combustor section, and one or more turbine sections. In some gas turbine engines, variable vanes are included, such as in the compressor section. Such variable vanes can be pivoted to different angles suitable for different operating conditions of the gas turbine engine. A mechanical linkage is typically used to pivot the variable vanes.
Mechanical linkages in the prior art utilize an actuator to pivot a bellcrank to pivot variable vanes. A bellcrank is a crank having multiple arms that pivot about a pivot point where the arms meet. Links are typically connected to the arms, such that when a force is applied by one of the links to its connected arm, all arms pivot about the pivot point, causing the other connected links to move. In the prior art variable vane systems, the bellcrank includes an arm directly connected to a driving linkage that drives the variable vanes to pivot.